Comedian Roderick Paulate, sentenced to up to 62 years for graft and falsification of public documents
RODERICK PAULATTE – The comedian has been found guilty by the Sandiganbayan on one count of graft and nine counts of falsification of public documents in connection with the hiring of ghost employees in 2010 during his first term as a councilor for Quezon City.
To recall, Paulate was removed from office after being elected as the councilor for Quezon City District 2 in 2010 due to allegations that he employed ghost workers from July through November of that year.
The official complaint against Paulate was made by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2018. According to the complaint, the politician-actor allegedly falsified a Job Order/Contract of Service by adding the signatures of fictitious contractors in order to force the city government to provide money for their salaries.
The total sentence for Paulate ranged from 10 and a half years to 62 years in prison; the graft offense carried a sentence of six to eight years, while each offense of falsification (eight for public documents, one by public officer), carried a sentence of six months to six years. For each count of the falsification offense, Paulate was ordered to pay a fine of P10,000, for a total of P90,000. He was also permanently barred from holding public office.
Vicente Bajamunde, Paulate’s driver and liaison officer, was also found guilty alongside him; however, he was freed from the falsification charges.
Roderick Paulate and Bajamunde were each ordered to pay the government P1.109 million (plus 6% interest annually until full payment) as compensation for the public funds they had taken from the City Treasurer’s Office to pay the fictitious salaries of the hired workers.
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